US forces take down three senior ISIS figures in Syria

United States Special Operations forces have reportedly taken down three senior ISIS figures in Syria. According to The Straits Times, the forces carried out twin strikes against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria group in northern Syria, killing the figures that are thought to be responsible for arming and recruiting fighters. The figures are accused of the latter as well as plotting attacks. The nighttime assaults have delivered the harshest blow against ISIS since a predawn raid by US commandos early in February. That attack resulted in the death of the group’s overall leader, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi.

The US Pentagon’s Central Command says the twin attacks began early on Thursday when the forces dropped from helicopters and killed Rakkan Wahid al-Shammari, who allegedly facilitated the smuggling of weapons and fighters to support ISIS group operations. A senior US military official, Michael Kurilla, says several hours later, an ISIS deputy leader in Syria and a man responsible for the group’s prisoner affairs were killed in a US drone strike.

Charles Lister, director of Syria and Countering Terrorism and Extremism programmes at the Middle East Institute in Washington, said the attack was a significant achievement.

“To have killed ISIS’s deputy emir for Syria is a significant achievement given that Syria is clearly where ISIS is investing its resources most these days.”

Lister said the airborne assault was the first known US counterterrorism operation in Syrian government-controlled territory since 2008. The attack took place about 10 miles south of a Syrian airfield where Russian troops were located. Russia is an ally of the Syrian government with troops being stationed in the same areas as US forces in Kurdish-controlled northeastern Syria.

But, the attack didn’t settle well with Russia as senior US military officials said the US didn’t use a special hotline to alert Russians before the raid happened. Previously, military officials used the hotline to give Russians advance warning of an imminent US counterterrorism mission to avoid any accidental exchange between the two militaries.